Stolen in the Night
by the-Bookworm-Princess
Summary: When a member of the team is kidnapped, the guys will do everything in their power to bring them back safely. Completed!
1. The Cover of Darkness

Title: Stolen in the Night

Author: Jeana a.k.a. the-Bookworm-Princess

Spoilers: nada, zilch, zero, none

Pairing: Wouldn't you like to know? Muahaha…

Summary: "Don't make a sound or I'll cut your throat!" a gruff voice threatened her.

Disclaimer: Navy NCIS is the property of Belisaurius, Paramount, DPB, CBS, and all that jazz...The characters just run around in my head all day long, so I put them to work.

Author's Note: Here, as promised, is my new story. I would like to thank Hannah my editor, best friend, massage therapist, psychiatrist, and fellow grammar freak. Oh, and her brother, too. Hannah, I want to apologize for all the 'dangling prepositions' and hyphens without spaces and for my incessant babbling at times. If you have an abhoration of asterisks from now on, I am completely to blame. ;) Merci beaucoup to my beta, nikkinor. Girl, you rock. Thanks for the title, and for catching my omissions. Well, without any further ado, I give you Stolen in the Night.

Chapter 1- The Cover of Darkness

Forensic specialist Abigail Sciuto spun around in circles in her swivel chair. Her black pigtails gently slapped her face as she changed directions. _'Come on, come on. Hurry up!'_ Abby impatiently waited for the results from a fingerprint scan. Suddenly, her computer screen began flashing and the green words "Positive Match" blinked under the prints. "Finally," she muttered. She looked at the clock as she saved the results; it was 7:30 in the evening. Everyone else had already left, and Gibbs had told her to go home, but she wanted to run this test today, and so he let her. She turned off her computer and the few machines she had left on. She hung up her lab coat and flipped off the lights. Abby decided to go out the back way because it was closer to her car. She stepped out in the cold night air and immediately wished she had remembered her coat that morning.

As she walked through the alley on her way to the parking lot, she had a strange feeling of uneasiness. A feeling in her gut told her something wasn't right. The alley was always quiet, but this was an eerie sort of quiet. She glanced around furtively and began to quicken her pace; suddenly she stopped. _'Cut it out,' _she chided herself, _'you're just being paranoid.' _She looked around once more and, satisfied that nothing was amiss, continued walking. Suddenly, she felt a huge hand clamp over her mouth, and the cold, steel blade of a knife at her throat!

"Don't make a sound or I'll cut your throat!" a gruff voice threatened her. She nodded gently, the blade nearly pricking the skin above her dog collar. She knew better than to try to fight him; he'd slice her jugular in a second. Instead, she surreptitiously removed the red and silver studded bracelet from her left wrist. Then she brought her hands up to her mouth and sneezed loudly as she dropped it, muffling the noise of its fall.

"Come with me." He kept the knife on her neck, removed his hand from her mouth and put it around her waist, then dragged her off through the alley.

Abby's captor took her into a side entrance to the alley, where a large van was parked. The man holding her called out, "Owen! Owen, dang it! Open the door!"

The van's door opened and the man called Owen got out. He was tall and muscular with brown crew-cut hair. He ran around to the back of the van and opened the doors. "Give her to me, Travis; you drive." Travis thrust Abby towards Owen, who grabbed her. Abby couldn't catch a glimpse of Travis when he ran to the front of the van because Owen immediately shoved her roughly onto the floor of the vehicle.

As Owen tied her hands behind her back, she silently wished that she had listened when Gibbs told her to go home. Then she heard the sound of duct tape ripping and groaned. Owen laughed cruelly as he placed the tape across her mouth. She lurched forward as the vehicle took off down the alley.

They drove for several miles, making many turns. Travis swore as the van stopped for the third time. "We've hit every stinkin' red light!" Travis swore again, and then they took off, heading straight for several miles. One more turn, and then the van pulled to a halt.

Abby heard Travis get out, and then Owen opened the back door of the van. Travis grabbed her and pulled and her out. "C'mon, this way." Abby didn't move, but looked around frantically, trying to see where they were. They had parked behind an old abandoned travel agency building, and Abby saw an address plate reading 613 Sunset Boulevard.

"Don't make me use my knife!" Travis threatened, drawing the weapon from his pocket. She relaxed her stance and allowed herself to be led into the building.

They pushed her inside the building and into a room at the back. Travis shoved her into a chair next to a table. Abby cried aloud in pain as Owen ripped the tape off of her face. "Get used to it," he said harshly, "that's going right back on as soon as we record you reading this ransom note."

Travis slammed a piece of paper down on the table. "That's right. You're gonna recite this for the camera, and I don't want any funny business, understand?" Abby nodded timidly. "Good. Owen, you all set?"

"Yeah." He took Abby roughly by the arm and dragged her and the chair over to a corner of the room where white sheets had been hung on the wall and placed on the floor.

Abby's mind raced as she tried to think of some way to let whomever got the video--she had heard them mention something about NCIS--know where she was being held. Suddenly, she thought of a plan! If only they didn't tie her up…

Owen forced her into the chair and stood behind her. He put one arm around her waist, pinning her. He lowered his head so it was next to hers. "Now, Abby, isn't it?" he asked lasciviously.

"Ms. Sciuto to you," she spat.

He let out a sinister chuckle, and with his free hand withdrew his knife and pressed it hard against her neck. "Alright then, _Ms. Sciuto_, when Travis gives you the signal, you say what we gave you, got it?"

Abby nodded, the tip of the knife nicking her. She winced, but was inwardly ecstatic; they hadn't tied her up!

Travis fumbled with the camera for a second, and then a red light came on. He pointed to Abby.

She addressed the first person that came to mind, "Hey, Gibbs. It's Abby. Guess I shoulda listened when you told me to go home." She chuckled nervously, hoping that they wouldn't catch on to what she was doing. "Anyways, these two fine gentlemen here want something from you, and they say that they won't let me go until they get it."

"Your little techie here is only half right. We don't want something from you, Gibbs, we want you."

_'What?! No money demands?' _Abby thought._ 'Then this must be something personal.'_

"You want the girl back? Then meet me at Coleman Park at 9:00, Thursday night. Oh, and if you ever want to see your little lab rat alive again--" he pressed the knife harder to her throat, and a small trail of blood trickled down her neck "--then don't bring any cops."

The light on the camera disappeared. "Very nice. Thank you for being so cooperative. Owen, make our guest comfortable."

There was something about the way that Travis said 'comfortable' that made Abby shiver.

"Gladly," Owen growled, grinning menacingly.

Owen grabbed Abby by the shoulders and took her into the next room. He shoved her into another chair, and was about to tie her hands.

"WAIT!" she cried, jerking her hands free.

"What?" he asked, irritated.

"I need to go to the bathroom." It was true, but really she wanted to search for some means of escape.

Owen cursed and grabbed her. "Alright, come on!" He led her to a room across the hall, and pushed her inside. He had already thoroughly checked out the room, and knew that escape was impossible. "And make it snappy!" he commanded as she shut the door.

Abby began exploring the bathroom. It was small, only ten steps in each direction. The ceiling didn't hit her head, but if she reached up, she could easily touch it. There were no windows or doors, except for the one through which she had come. She used the toilet, disgusting though it was, and then went over to the sink. The faucet was rusty and corroded, and when Abby turned it on, icy water trickled out. She shuddered and quickly washed her hands; she was already cold, and this only made her more so. She could find nothing with which to dry her hands, and so wiped them on her black cargo pants. Abby began exploring the walls again trying to find a crack or hole, when Owen pounded on the door.

"Hurry up in there!" he said gruffly.

Abby scurried back to the door. "I'm coming, sheesh! You could try to be a _little_ nicer."

Owen chuckled. "I don't think so." He grabbed her arm, and took her back across the hall. He shoved her down roughly in the chair, yanked her arms behind it, and tied them together with rope.

Abby grunted. "Would it kill you to be a little gentler?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his knife which he pressed against her throat. "No, but it might kill you."

Abby decided that silence might be the best thing for her right now. Owen crouched down and tied her ankles to the chair as well. She heard the now familiar sound of duct tape and groaned. He taped her mouth and then left the room. Abby tried wriggling her wrists to loosen her bonds, but to no avail. She sighed; this was going to be a long night.


	2. Connecting the Dots

Chapter 2 - Connecting the Dots

Agent Jethro Gibbs walked into the bullpen early on Wednesday morning carrying a large cup of coffee. He sat down in his chair, hoping to get some paperwork done before Kate and Tony arrived. They were good agents, but they just talked way too much! He took a sip of coffee, and then started on the mountain of paperwork that lay before him.

xxxxxx

Travis pulled his van up to the curb in front of the Fed-Ex office. He put on his sunglasses, grabbed the tape-which was packaged and addressed-and went inside. He waited in line for a while and, when it was his turn, he told them that he wanted same-day delivery. He paid the outrageous fee and left.

xxxxxx

Gibbs had been working for about half an hour when he heard the elevator ping. Agents Anthony DiNozzo and Caitlin Todd stepped out together and ambled over to their desks, chatting all the way.

"You actually met a hot blonde that you didn't like?" Kate asked, incredulous.

"Her name was Hannah and she was a psychologist, Kate, not a model," Tony replied. "Anytime I said anything, she would always correct my grammar. It was so annoying."

"Poor you," Kate said with mock sympathy. "Maybe if you used proper English once in a while, you could have added her to your ever-growing list of girlfriends."

"Maybe. But there was this time that we got along. Me and her were-"

"She and I," Kate corrected with a grin.

Tony glared at her, and she smirked back. "You do that just to bug me, don't you?"

"Wow, you catch on quick."

"Anyways, _she and I_ went to this night clu-"

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs interrupted. "That paperwork isn't gonna fill itself out!" He gestured to the tall stack on Tony's desk.

"Right, boss." Before resigning himself to the hours of paperwork that lay ahead, he whispered to Kate, "I'll tell you the rest at lunch." Kate rolled her eyes.

Noting the empty desk beside him, Tony asked, "Boss, where's McGee? He should know better than to be late like this."

"He had a dentist appointment," Gibbs said, not looking up.

"Lucky son of a gun," Tony muttered, "he gets to miss all of this fun paperwork."

"No, he's going to work through lunch, and so will you if you don't get a move on."

Kate grinned as Tony quickly grabbed a pen and a stack of papers.

"Kate," Gibbs called.

"I know, I know," she sighed. "Paperwork."

"No, I want you to go and get those last test results from Abby."

"But Sergeant Nichols already confessed to the murder."

"I don't care. I want the fingerprint match anyway," he said, annoyed.

"Alright, alright," she threw up her hands in resignation and walked over to the elevator. Once inside, she pressed the button that would take her down to Abby's lab. She stepped off the elevator and thought it odd that, as she neared the lab, she heard no rock music blaring. She thought it was even stranger that all the lights were off. "Abby?" She called, walking into the lab. She flipped the lights on and began searching for the perky technician. She didn't find her anywhere, and began to get worried when she saw the Goth's lab coat hanging on its hook; Abby almost always wore her lab coat.

She immediately ran back upstairs, not bothering to wait for the elevator. She walked quickly over to Gibbs' desk. "Abby isn't here."

Tony looked up from his paperwork, a confused expression on his face.

Gibbs glanced up from his paperwork, looking annoyed. "What do you mean 'isn't here'?"

"I went down to the lab and all the lights were off. There was no of trace of her; I looked everywhere. She's not in the lab."

Tony could tell that Kate was worried. "Relax, Kate, I'll bet she just had a late night party and slept in or something."

"Call her house and see what's up. And if she has a hangover, tell her not to come in today."

Kate smiled slightly at Gibbs' latter comment, and sat down at her desk. She picked up her phone and dialed Abby's number. The phone rang five times, then the answering machine picked up and Kate heard Abby's cheery voice.

"Hey! You've reached Abby Sciuto. I'm not here right now, but if you leave me a message, I'll call you back."

"Abby, it's Kate. I hope you're alright. Gibbs is kind of annoyed that you're not here, but he says that if you have a hangover or something then you can stay home. Bye." She hung up the phone.

"Kate?" Gibbs said without looking up.

"Yeah, Gibbs?"

"Now you can start on that paperwork."

xxxxxx

They had been working steadily for several hours, when Tony's stomach growled. "Hey, boss, can we break for lunch?"

Gibbs surveyed the stacks of paperwork on all three desks and noticed that they were significantly smaller than before. "Alright," he consented, "but don't take forever."

Tony stood up from his desk and grinned at Kate. "Now you can hear the rest of my story."

"I can't wait," she said sarcastically, as she stood up and stretched. She followed Tony out of the bullpen, but stopped suddenly. "Oh, crud! I left my lunch in the car! I knew I forgot something."

"I'll be in the lunchroom," Tony said as Kate stormed back to get her keys. She grabbed them and headed out to the parking lot. She retrieved her now-warm lunch from her car and was making her way back to the building when she saw something that surprised her: Abby's car was there, and it hadn't moved from the previous day's parking place.

_'Maybe she just got here,'_ Kate thought. She started for the back entrance, the fastest route from her present location to the lab. As she walked through the alley behind the building, something on the ground caught her eye; it was Abby's bracelet. She stooped to pick it up. She examined it, and then strapped it on her wrist. _'The snap works fine,'_ she thought. _'The bracelet didn't fall off. But this is Abby's favorite bracelet; she wouldn't have taken it off and left it out here.'_ She felt a pang of fear in the pit of her stomach with her next thought. _'What if someone else ripped it off?'_

She bolted for the door and when she reached the lab, her fears were justified: there was no Abby. She hadn't just arrived, her car had been there all night. Abby had never gone home. Kate took the stairs two at a time and burst into the lunchroom, faced flushed and breathing heavily.

"Whoa! Kate, I didn't know you were _that _anxious to hear my story." Tony grinned, his mouth full of sandwich.

"Something's happened to Abby!" she gasped.

Tony swallowed. "Calm down, Kate, I'm sure she's fine."

"What's all the excitement about?" Gibbs asked, entering the room with his lunch.

"Something's happened to Abby!" she repeated.

"What makes you think she's not asleep at home with a hangover?" Gibbs asked, retrieving an apple from his bag and taking a bite.

"Her car hasn't moved since yesterday. She never went home! And I found this in the alley by the back entrance." She held up Abby's bracelet.

Tony froze with his sandwich an inch away for his open mouth.

Kate handed the bracelet to Gibbs. "Now do you believe me?"

He nodded solemnly.

She sat in a chair next to Tony and tried to calm her frazzled nerves.

"So what are we gonna do, boss?" Tony wondered, standing and getting a glass of water for Kate.

Gibbs opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by the intercom.

"Attention, Agent Gibbs - you have an urgent package waiting at the receptionist's desk."

Gibbs gently placed the bracelet in his pocket. "Break time's over. Come on."

Tony stood and threw away his trash. As he and Kate followed Gibbs out of the room they looked at each other worriedly.

Gibbs got the package from the receptionist. It was small, wrapped in brown paper, and addressed to "Agent Gibbs c/o NCIS". It was stamped with the word urgent. The trio returned to the bullpen. Tony and Kate crowded around Gibbs' desk as he put on a pair of gloves. He carefully unwrapped the parcel and pulled out an 8mm video cassette. "McGee!" he roared.

Agent Timothy McGee, who had arrived just as Gibbs was going to lunch, winced as his boss bellowed for him. He immediately jumped out of his chair and ran over to his superior's desk. "Yes, boss?"

"You in the middle of writing anything important?" Gibbs asked, still examining the tape.

"No, not really, I-"

"Good," Gibbs handed the younger agent a pair of gloves. McGee put them on, and Gibbs placed the cassette in the agent's hands.

McGee inspected the tape, and then looked up at Gibbs. "If you don't mind me saying so, boss, Abby is more experienced than I at lifting prints. Why don't you get her to do it?"

"Because," Gibbs informed him, growing irritated, "Abby isn't here."

"Oh," McGee timidly replied.

As they walked to the elevator, Gibbs questioned the younger agent. "You didn't by any chance take Abby out on a date anywhere last night, did you?"

McGee winced; the agency's strangest couple had switched from romantic to platonic last week. "No, and we're just friends now," he answered, somewhat subdued.

Tony put a hand on McGee's shoulder as they stepped into the elevator. "I told you from the beginning, McGee, you really weren't her type. Almost convinced me with that tat...her, too, I guess. It's not removable, is it?"

McGee shook his head, a mournful look in his eyes.

The metal doors whooshed open and the four agents stepped out of the elevator and into the lab. The team brought McGee up to speed as they readied the equipment. Gibbs flipped on the lights, McGee booted up the computer, Kate turned on the large television screen, and Tony put on one of Abby's CDs. As hard core music filled the lab, the three agents watched McGee intently as he connected a camcorder to the TV, which he hooked up to the computer. Then they huddled around him as he hunched over the keyboard.

Gibbs noticed that McGee typed nearly as fast as Abby, but without the rings and bracelets scintillating as the fingers flew across the keyboard, it just wasn't the same.

Once the young agent had all three devices on-line, he pressed a button on the camcorder. "Okay, it should play on the screen." And play it did. There was a collective gasp when the agents saw the lively technician being held at knifepoint. Kate brought a hand up to her mouth as the listened to the demands of Abby's captor.

"…don't bring any cops." The man's harsh words echoed in the agents' minds long after static seized the screen. Kate sank into a nearby chair, her hand still over her gaping mouth. Tony put a comforting arm around her shoulders. McGee sat there with his head in his hands. Gibbs ran his hands through his hair.

Finally, Tony broke the silence, "What did he mean when he said that he wanted you, Gibbs?"

Gibbs sighed; he had an idea of who the man was, but he wanted to be sure. "McGee, get a close-up on the guy's face and freeze it." A few keystrokes from the agent and the man's face filled the screen. Gibbs' suspicions were confirmed.

Tony studied the screen. "Hey, that looks like…"

"Owen Steele, brother of former Marine, Nathan Steele," Gibbs finished Tony's thought.

"So he's after revenge?"

"That's what it looks like."

"McGee, are you following any of this?" Kate asked.

McGee shook his head, completely clueless.

"Nathan Steele was a former Marine who was caught stealing weapons and selling them on the black market," Tony related to them. "When he was dishonorably discharged, he turned into a serial killer. He murdered six Marines before we stopped him." Tony shook his head in remembrance.

"So what happened to him?" Kate pressed.

"Well, when we caught him, he opened fire, so Gibbs shot him." He looked at the older agent, who wore a grim expression on his face. Gibbs remembered the case like it had happened yesterday.

"So this guy wants to get back at Gibbs for shooting his brother?"

"_These guys_," Gibbs corrected her, "want to get back at me for killing their brother."

"What was the other one's name, boss? Thomas?" Tony tried to remember.

"Travis." Gibbs stated matter-of-factly.

"So what are we gonna do, Gibbs?" Kate wondered out loud.

Gibbs thought for a moment, then ordered, "Play it again. Look closely for any hints as to where they might be." Kate and Tony nodded and McGee complied.

They were halfway through it when suddenly Gibbs cried out, "Hold it!" The other three looked up at him simultaneously. "McGee, zoom in on her right hand!" He did so with a few clicks. "Now play it from the beginning." He rewound the tape, utterly confused as to what Gibbs saw. "My gosh, I know where she is!" Gibbs whispered as he watched Abby fingerspell her location. "She's at 613 Sunset Boulevard!"

"Are you sure?" Kate questioned.

"Yes! She signed it twice!" he informed her, but didn't tell her what Abby's last sign was. It was a sign that surprised him. Anyone else might have mistaken it for a rock-on sign, but Gibbs knew full well what it was. It was a sign consisting of three fingers, and it stood for three letters. The pinky, which represented and 'I'; the forefinger and thumb standing for an 'L'; and the pinky together with the thumb for a 'Y'. Putting them together was sign language for "I love you."

* * *

Author's Note: Muahaha, so now you know; it's GAbby. I hope this doesn't send anyone away, but that's the pairing I am sticking with. Thank you so much Hannah for catching my mistakes; it would be awful if Gibbs had to drink fake coffee, hahahahaha. I would also like to thank LJ a.k.a. Commodore Norrington for Tony's comment to McGee about Abby. And thanks so much to all of my reviewers. Roses are red. Violets are blue. I like flowers, but I'd love a review. Sorry about the technical goof of posting this on "Breaking the News". I'll bet that story made a whole lot of sense… 


	3. Waiting

Author's Note: This chapter takes place immediately after Travis mails the tape, and while the team is figuring out what happened. Sorry that it's so short.

* * *

Chapter 3 - Waiting

Abby was jarred from her sleep by someone shouting. She opened her eyes groggily. She saw before her a gray wall, light streaming in from a small window, and felt tape on her mouth. She tried to move her arms, but found them to be restrained. _'Darn! It wasn't just a dream!'_ Abby thought ruefully.

She heard voices arguing loudly in the other room. She couldn't understand what they were disputing about, but she heard the word 'kolache' a few times. She tried to turn her head to hear better, but was stopped by a crick in her neck. Abby remembered why: last night she had finally been able to drift off by resting her chin on her chest. She slowly rolled her head all the way to the right, trying to ease the cramp.

Suddenly, Abby felt a pang of hunger; she had had nothing but a Big Gulp since yesterday's lunch. She groaned loudly and the bickering ceased. She heard footsteps and then her captors entered the room; Travis was carrying a bag.

Travis walked over to her. "Good morning," he said, all too cheerily. He grinned sadistically as he yanked the tape off her mouth, and Abby willed herself not to cry out. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied, not giving him the pleasure of seeing her upset.

"Good." He backed up and motioned to Owen, who walked behind Abby and untied her hands. She stretched her arms and then rubbed her sore wrists. Travis held his jacket open to reveal a pistol holstered on his belt. "Owen's got one, too; I wouldn't try running away. Now, are you hungry?"

"Oh, yes! I could totally go for an éclair right now. Ooh! Ooh! And some coffee cake, too!" He reached into the bag and shoved a cold bagel at her. Abby seized it devoured it ravenously. "Well," she said between bites, "beggars can't be choosers." She consumed it in a matter of seconds. "I don't suppose I could have a drink?"

Travis pulled a water bottle out of the bag and thrust it in her hands. She drained it about halfway, and then put the cap back on the bottle.

"Finished?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Alright, Owen, you take the first shift. I'll be in the other room."

Owen nodded and Travis left. Then Owen retied Abby's hands. But when he tore a strip of duct tape, she jerked her head away.

"Please don't. What if I promise to be really quiet?" Abby gave him her best puppy-dog look; it had always worked on everybody - everybody except Gibbs - and now it worked on Owen.

He put the tape away and sat down at the table. He pulled a deck of cards from his pocket and began a game of solitaire. He played for a few minutes, and then stopped, apparently stuck.

"Red eight to black nine," Abby instructed.

xxxxxx

Thirteen rounds of solitaire later, Abby was ready to fall asleep. What she wouldn't give for a book, a magazine, anything! The complete lack of activity was driving her crazy. _'But, then again, being held captive isn't supposed to be fun,'_ she reasoned. Still, the waiting was unbearable. _'Hurry, Gibbs.'_

Travis entered the room to relieve Owen and grew angry with one look at Abby. "Owen, why isn't her mouth taped shut?"

"Uh…well, sh-she asked me not to," Owen stammered.

"She asked me not to," Travis mocked. "You take your orders from me, not her. Got that?"

Owen nodded and handed his older brother the roll of tape.

Travis ripped off a piece and slapped it across Abby's face, much to her displeasure. "Now, Owen, go get us some lunch." Abby's eyes lit up; the bagel had hardly been filling. Travis saw her perk up and laughed wickedly. "And by 'us', I mean Owen and me." Abby sank dejectedly. Travis laughed again, sending a chill down his captive's spine.

Owen returned about half an hour later with two delicious-smelling toasted sandwiches. Abby's eyes brightened and her stomach growled when she smelled them. Owen handed one to Travis and began eating the second. Abby mumbled something behind the tape.

"What, are you thirsty or something?" Travis barked. Abby nodded. He ripped the tape off and held the water bottle to her lips, allowing her to drink.

As he screwed the cap back on, Abby said, "I'm hungry."

"Too bad," he growled.

"Please, I just want a few bi--"

Travis backhanded her and called her a particularly nasty name. "You better shut up or you're not getting more water!"

Abby glared at the man as he put the tape back on her mouth, and wistfully mused, _'Oh, Gibbs, where are you?'_


	4. The Rescue

Chapter 4 - The Rescue

Gibbs stared off into space as he contemplated what he had seen. _'She loves me? We've been working together for years, and never once did she say anything about loving me. Besides, she was dating McGee as of last week…she's either very fickle or--'_

Tony's voice jolted him from his reverie. "Boss?"

"What?" Gibbs asked, a little harsher than he'd intended.

"I said, 'Are we gonna go get her?'"

"Of course," he snapped, heading to the elevator. The other three immediately followed him, not bothering to turn anything off.

Stepping off the elevator and into the bullpen, Gibbs ordered, "Kate, phone Ducky and tell him what's up. Quickly." Kate promptly picked up her phone and called the morgue.

"Boss, should we call the police?" Tony asked, picking up his phone.

"Not until we have those two dirt bags in custody," Gibbs replied, retrieving his Sig Sauer from his desk drawer. "The last thing we need is them screwing this up."

"Right." Tony put his phone back down, grabbed his gun, and put on his jacket.

"McGee, I want directions to this place, and I want them yesterday."

McGee typed at lighting speed, and soon he had found and printed out a map.

Gibbs grabbed his keys. "Let's go." Just as Tony was about to call out, 'shotgun', Gibbs ordered, "McGee, I want you in front reading me those directions."

When they reached the parking lot, they all climbed into Gibbs' car and were soon hanging on for dear life as Gibbs drove like a madman on the crowded roads. He swerved around other cars as he accelerated beyond the speed limit. When he made a sharp turn, Kate nearly smacked into Tony. The ride was quiet except for the occasional "turn here" from McGee and the startled gasps from the backseat when Gibbs' turns slammed them into the sides of the car. All three of the younger agents breathed a sigh of relief when Gibbs turned onto a street that was, for the most part, empty.

Although all were worried, Kate was the only one visibly troubled. She chewed her lip nervously as she stared out the window. She was scared for Abby, and hoped that nothing had happened to her, for the girls had become fast friends immediately after Kate had come to work for NCIS.

She laced her fingers together on her lap; another nervous habit. Then she placed one hand on top of the other and crossed her ankles, not realizing that Tony was watching her curiously. Finally, she sighed in frustration and placed her hands by her sides, accidentally brushing Tony's hand. She felt his slide over hers, and she looked up into his comforting green eyes.

"We'll get her out, Kate. She'll be alright," he whispered. She nodded and squeezed his hand.

"Okay, this is Sunset Boulevard," McGee informed Gibbs after a final turn.

Wanting to park a little ways away so as not to be heard by the kidnappers, Gibbs pulled the car in front of an insurance agency, number 609 on the street. They got out and shut the car doors quietly. The foursome quickly made their way to the rear entrance of the travel agency. They readied their weapons simultaneously, then Gibbs put a finger to his lips and reached for the doorknob. The agents all held their breath as he turned the knob…it was unlocked. They slipped silently inside.

The team crept into the hallway, careful not to make any audible footsteps. Gibbs and Tony checked the first room, and, finding nothing, mouthed the word "clear" to Kate and McGee, who did the same with the room across the hall.

Suddenly a sigh floated into the corridor from a room at the end of the hallway.

Staying close to the wall, they crept towards the doorway until they were only a few inches away. "On three," Gibbs mouthed, and the team nodded. He held up his hand and counted on his fingers. When he reached three, all four agents burst into the room with their guns raised.

The agents were disturbed by the sight that greeted them. Abby was tied to a chair, pigtails drooping, her sparkling green eyes now somber, and her mouth covered by a strip of gray duct tape.

"NCIS! Put your hands in the air!" Gibbs shouted.

Abby's head snapped up and her eyes sparkled when she saw the team.

Owen, playing cards on Abby's right, and Travis, reading to the left of her, slowly raised their hands. Suddenly, Travis made a grab for his gun, but Gibbs' quick reflexes sent a bullet into Travis' arm before he could fire a shot. Travis groaned loudly and clutched his arm, his gun clattering to the floor. McGee, being the closest agent to the wounded kidnapper, immediately snatched up the gun. Then he proceeded to cuff their new prisoner.

While everyone's attention was directed towards the wounded Travis, Owen had retrieved his knife and was slowly moving closer to Abby.

Kate was the first to notice, and instantly trained her gun on him. "Drop it, now!"

Tony and Gibbs also fixed their weapons on him. "Do it," Gibbs warned, "or I'll shoot you too."

Owen hesitated for a moment, then, realizing how miserably outnumbered he was, set the knife down and shoved it across the table.

Keeping his eyes and his gun on the man, Gibbs ordered, "Tony, cuff him."

"Right, boss." Tony stepped forward, confiscated the knife, and then reached into his pocket. Finding nothing, he checked his other one, but found no handcuffs. "Uh…" he looked at Kate sheepishly.

Abby rolled her eyes. _'Tony…'_

Kate smirked at him, then fished a pair of cuffs from her pocket and dangled them in front of his nose.

He snatched them from her and then cuffed Owen's hands tightly behind his back.

"Get 'em out of here," Gibbs said, holstering his gun.

Tony began reading them their rights as he and McGee led them outside. You have the right to remain silent…" McGee kept his gun on them as he phoned for a squad car and an ambulance.

Gibbs and Kate ran over to Abby. He gripped one corner of the tape on her mouth. "It will hurt more if I peel this slowly, so I'm just going to yank it off really fast, okay?"

Abby nodded and steeled herself. Gibbs tore it off and Abby whispered, "Water."

"I'll get you some," Kate said, and quickly ran out to the car.

Gibbs pulled his knife from his pocket and cut the ropes on Abby's ankles. "I got your message."

"Obviously."

"No, I mean the _other_ one," he signed 'I love you' to her, then returned to cutting her restrains.

"Oh," she blushed. "I didn't know if I was ever gonna see you again."

"But did you mean it?" he asked, working on her wrists.

"Yes."

"Good." The last of the ropes snapped.

Abby stood and rubbed her wrists, then she searched Gibbs' eyes, his piercing blue eyes. To her surprise, she saw that his usually emotionless features were sparkling with feelings that mirrored her own.

"Oh, Gibbs," she whispered, then threw her arms around his neck. She let her tears flow freely, soaking the shoulder of his jacket.

He kissed her gently, and then held her tightly for several moments. She laid her head on his chest as her tears ceased to fall. "I love you, Abby," he whispered in her ear.

She beamed. "I love you, too," she murmured.

Gibbs tightened her pigtails so that they were symmetrical once more, and kissed the top of her head. Then he said, "Oh, I almost forgot." He reached into his pocket and pulled out her bracelet, which he held out to her. "You dropped this."

"Thanks, Gibbs." She smiled, and put it on her wrist.

Looking around, Gibbs muttered, "Where the heck is Kate? We had a bottle of water in the car."

"Let's go find out." Gibbs wiped her tear-stained cheeks, and followed her out of the building. "Where's Kate?" Abby asked McGee.

He pointed down the street, where they saw Kate running towards them.

When she reached them, she thrust a bottle of cold water into Abby's hand. "Sorry," she panted, as Abby began draining the bottle. "I came out to the car to get the water, and I saw DiNozzo chugging it down. By the time I stopped him, it was nearly empty." Tony grinned, and shrugged. "So I ran down to the gas station to get a new one."

"Thanks, Kate," Abby smiled. Then she gave each of the agents a hug, and exclaimed that she was the luckiest girl alive to have friends like these that would come to her rescue.

They heard sirens nearing them, and soon the brothers in crime were leaving-Travis in the ambulance, and Owen in the squad car.

Gibbs watched the vehicles until they were out of sight. "McGee!" He threw the keys to the younger man. "You drive."

"Shotgun!" Tony cried gleefully, running around to the passenger side of the car.

Kate rolled her eyes at her colleague. _'So immature, yet so winsome.'_ She opened the car door and slid into the backseat.

"Thank you," Abby said cheerily as Gibbs opened the door for her. She scooted into the middle seat, and he got in after her. McGee started the car and they left.

The drive back to headquarters was silent; everyone was consumed with his own thoughts. McGee was, of course, concentrating on the road, but he was also wondering to how many years in prison those two would be sentenced. Tony couldn't help thinking about what _might_ have happened. _'What if we hadn't gotten the tape in time? What if Gibbs didn't know sign language? What if they had hurt Abby? What if…'_

Kate was just glad that the whole ordeal was over and that Abby was safe and sound. Gibbs was berating himself for leaving her alone that night. He vowed that he would never let anything happen to her again. Abby was curious as to why Travis and Owen had wanted to hurt Gibbs, she decided that she would ask later. Emotionally and physically spent, she leaned over, laid her head on her boss' shoulder, and closed her eyes.

Gibbs smiled slightly, gently lifted his arm, and placed it around her.

Kate saw this and raised an eyebrow at him, then smirked, but a glare from her superior quickly erased the grin from her face.

* * *

Author's Note: Hannah, I cannot thank you enough, you're best boos - I mean boss - ever! ;) And thank you so much for all of my wonderful reviews! I have an epilogue, but I may not be able to post it right away as I have to go out of town for a few days; I promise it will be up by Sunday at the latest. Please review! 


	5. Epilogue

Chapter 5 - Epilogue

The team reached headquarters after a detour to Taco Bell; Abby ordered and devoured two quesadillas and a taco. Abby went down to the morgue immediately after arriving.

Ducky had been in the middle of writing an autopsy report when he got Kate's call, and he had been cleaning up and pacing worriedly since then. When he heard the elevator and saw Abby step out, he breathed a sigh of relief. She ran over and gave him a hug. "Abby! I'm so glad you're alright," he exclaimed.

"Of course, I'm alright; I've got the best team of friends anyone could ask for." She grinned.

"And what of the kidnappers?"

"Sorry, Ducky, Gibbs only shot one of them in the arm; you don't get to weigh their livers."

"Oh, rats! And I was so looking forward to it." He smiled.

Abby laughed. "Well, Duckman, I have to get back and give Gibbs a fingerprint match he wanted. I'll catch you later." She waved to him as she started to walk off, but he stopped her.

"Oh, Abby, let me have a look at your wrists." Despite protests from Abby, Ducky succeeded in medicating the rope burns on her wrists.

She took the elevator up to her lab and printed out the match for Gibbs. Then she got on the elevator again, and rode up to the bullpen. She strode over to Gibbs' desk and handed him the paper.

"Thanks, Abbs. Now I want you to go home and rest. If you feel like coming in tomorrow, fine, but I want you to take the rest of today off, okay?"

"But, Gibbs-"

"No buts, Abby. You need food and rest, I'm ordering you to go home and get plenty of both. Do I make myself clear?"

She sighed. "Yes, Gibbs." She had just started to leave when she heard a more gentle "Abbs?" She turned back around, "Yeah, Gibbs?"

"I didn't tell you earlier, but that was great thinking."

She smiled. "Thanks, Gibbs."

He smiled back and then returned to his paperwork.

xxxxxx

The next morning, Gibbs walked into the building carrying two drinks: a cup of coffee and a Caff-Pow. Instead of going straight up to the bullpen, he took the elevator down to the lab. He knew Abby would be there; she worked hard at her job, and wasn't going to use the kidnapping as an excuse to stay home. He walked through the lab doors and saw Abby-just as he'd predicted-busy at work.

She was looking at something through the microscope. "Hey, Gibbs," she called, recognizing his footsteps. She looked up and smiled when she saw the Caff-Pow in his hand. She grabbed it from him eagerly and took several gulps. "Mmm," she said, setting it down and returning her focus to the microscope. "You sure know how to make a girl happy, Gibbs."

"Well, I try." His arms encircled her waist. "Are you doing anything tonight?"

She enjoyed the feeling of his strong arms around her. "I don't think so, why?"

"Do you wanna go out for dinner? You can pick the place."

She grinned. "Sure. How about Olive Garden? Italian food would be a really nice change."

"Sounds good to me. I'll come get you after hours."

"I'll be waiting." She smiled. "Hey, Gibbs, this sounds like a date to me."

"Yeah?"

"Well, what about Rule 12?"

"Since when are you afraid to break the rules?"

She grinned at him.

"I hate to leave, but I have a meeting with Director Morrow." He released her from his embrace.

"See you tonight."

"Bye, Abbs."

xxxxxx

The team worked on the paperwork for the kidnapping the whole day. At four-thirty, Gibbs shoved the stacks of paper away and rubbed his eyes. "Guys, these papers aren't going anywhere; let's call it a day."

Tony glanced at his watch. "It's only four-thirty, boss, we-"

"Do you want to work late? Get your butts out of here before I change my mind!" The agents quickly turned off their computers, grabbed their things, and left.

Gibbs finished his coffee - his fourth that day - picked up his coat, and headed for the elevator. When he stepped off and walked into the lab, he heard Abby's usual music playing. _'Everything's back to normal,'_ he thought. "Abbs. Hey, Abbs!" The music drowned out his voice, so he walked over to where she was working the gas chromatograph and placed his hands on her shoulders. Abby's elbow shot back and rammed Gibbs in the solar plexus. She whirled around and to her horror saw her boss doubled over and groaning. "Oh my gosh! Gibbs! I'm so sorry! But I warned you not to sneak up on me."

"Yeah, Abby-" he inhaled sharply "-you did."

"I'm so sorry! Are you alright?"

"I think so." He winced as he exhaled. "I came to get you."

She looked at the clock on the wall. "You're early."

"Yeah, I thought we could go do something relaxing before we eat. The weather's nice; we could go for a walk or something."

"I'd like that, Gibbs. Just gimme a minute." She ran around the lab turning off all the machines. Then she hung up her lab coat and put on her black trench coat. She flipped off the lights and returned to where Gibbs stood waiting by the elevator. "Okay, let's go," she said cheerily.

They left the building and got into Gibbs' car. They drove to a park, and when they got out Abby put on her NCIS cap, but left her gloves in her purse; it was late enough that she wasn't very worried about the sun.

They began walking along the path in the fresh, cool air. They talked about anything and everything that wasn't work-related. As they continued conversing and laughing, Abby slipped her hand into his. Gibbs smiled - hand holding may have seemed juvenile, but he didn't care - and he interlaced his fingers with hers.

Abby smiled, and then suddenly had a thought. "Hey, Gibbs, I thought you only like redheads?"

"Maybe that was where I went wrong," he said before leaning over and kissing her.

FIN

* * *

Author's Note: I am so sorry that I didn't get this up on Sunday, but I was only home for about twenty minutes, and then I went to my Church lock-in, so as soon as I got home this morning, I went to sleep. :) Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, you don't know how much it means to me. I again would like to thank my editor, Hannah, and beta, nikkinor; y'all are the best! My next project, which is currently in the editing/beta-ing stage, will be a follow-up on "The Perfect Gift" for those of you who wanted a little bit more. I hope everyone liked how I ended this; I'm going back to sleep now. :) ;) :D 


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